"What happened in Muzaffarnagar was sad. We all know who acted swiftly," said Yadav.

He said that the state government took swift action in bringing the situation under control. "We have arrested a large number of people and we have tried to bring situation under control in Muzaffarnagar. Some communal forces are taking advantage of the situation," he said.

On Centre's warning to the Uttar Pradesh government, he said, "The Uttar Pradesg government was alert and that is why swift action could be taken," Yadav said.

5.13 pm: Venkaiah Naidu denies BJP involvement in riots

Asserting that the BJP had no role in the Muzaffarnagar violence, senior party leader Venkaiah Naidu today said people of Uttar Pradesh knew who was responsible and everything will come to light once the situation eased.

BJP had no role in the violence and it was the action of the ruling SP that led to the violence in the Muzaffarnagar, he alleged.

4.59 pm: PM announces Rs 2 lakh compensation for kin of dead

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today expressed anguish over the Muzaffarnagar riots and also announced compensation for next of kin those who died and got injured in the violence.

CNN-IBN reported that the PM has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of those who had died and Rs 50,000 for those who got injured in the violence that gripped the district in Uttar Pradesh.

4.28 pm: PIL in Allahabad HC seeks CBI probe, death toll at 38

A PIL filed in the Allahabad High Court today demanded a CBI probe into the Muzaffarnagar riots. The death toll in the violence has reached 38.

"Akhilesh must step down," he Prasada said slamming the CM for inaction.

12.18 pm: Death toll across UP rises to 38

As the curfew in Muzaffarnagar was extended to the fourth consecutive day and army patrolling continued in the strife-torn areas, the death toll in the clashes in the district and adjoining towns rose to 38. Over 360 people have been arrested in connection with the violence. "A total of 38 people have died in various districts of western Uttar Pradesh with 32 deaths in Muzaffarnagar," Home Secretary Kamal Saxena told PTI in Lucknow.

While two deaths have been reported from Meerut, one each has been reported from Hapur, Baghpat, Saharapur and Shamli, he said, adding that 81 people have been injured in these districts and 366 people have been arrested. The Home Secretary said no fresh incident of violence has been reported and the situation was under control.

Curfew in three areas of Muzaffarnagar -- Civil Lines, Kotwali and Nai Mandi -- was continuing and the army was patrolling the troubled areas in Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Meerut, Saxena said.

Cornered by the Opposition parties and the Centre, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav promised to take strong action against the guilty. "We are doing all we can. The attempt is to ensure that people are safe," said Akhilesh.

On the other hand, NDTV quoted the district magistrate of Muzaffarnagar as saying that the authorities have tried arresting BJP leader Sangeet Som. Som has been charged under the IT Act, for promoting violence and enmity.

BJP, however, seems all set to exploit the situation for its political benefits and might get Narendra Modi to address a rally in Muzaffarnagar soon. In a report on the Hindustan Times, sources have been quoted as saying that the BJP morale is still high, even with leader of the Opposition Hukum Singh in jail. HT reports:

In fact, the saffron think tank is planning to get its current poster boy Narendra Modi to address a rally in riot hit Muzaffarnagar district, where BJP fared badly in the 2012 polls.

10.00 am Violence spreads to other areas, 2 more killed

Tension continued in Muzaffarnagar, the scene of communal violence for the last two days. Violence spread to neighbouring district of Shamli where a 40-year-old Imam of a mosque, Maulana Umar Din, was shot dead, Shamli District Magistrate P K Singh said. Meanwhile one person was stabbed to death in Meerapur town of Muzaffarnagar district.

Curfew remained in force in Muzaffarnagar town and army staged flag marches for the second consecutive day

9.36 pm: UP govt appoints judicial panel to probe violence

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday appointed a one-member judicial commission, comprising retired Allahabad High Court judge Vishnu Sahay, to probe the communal riots in Muzaffarnagar, an official said.

The commission has been asked to submit its report to the state government within two months.

Home Secretary Kamal Saxena told IANS that the commission would probe all events between 27 August and 9 September and would investigate the reasons behind the communal flare up and identify people behind the violence.

The commission is also expected to suggest ways to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

Kaushal Raj Sharma, the District Magistrate of Muzaffarnagar has also confirmed that there was no incident of violence reported today and promised action against those guilty of inciting further violence.

"We have noted a few Facebook accounts that are being tracked," he said, referring to some content that was being used to incite violence via social media.

6:10 pm: UP top cop admits that political pressures taking its toll on force

Uttar Pradesh's Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Arun Kumar said that violence had largely been brought under control in the Muzaffarnagar area.

"There was only one incident of violence reported today," he told CNN-IBN.

He said multiple people had called up to express panic over the violence in the state but there was no report of violence.

Kumar also said that the police had acted early on the video that fanned communal violence and told people that it was an old one, but they weren't believed.

The senior police official denied that politics was playing a role in the policing of the state but said politics in the state was taking its toll on the police force.

"There have been incidents that have been fanning communal sentiments," he said, referring to the VHP's Ayodhya rally that was nipped in the bud by the state government.

The Chief Minister may have promised strong action but the Union government is going to be looking over its shoulder when it comes to the handling of the Muzaffarnagar riots.

According to PTI, the Union Home Ministry has asked the Uttar Pradesh government to send Muzaffarnagar situation report every 12 hours.

5:05 pm: Akhilesh says that some political parties attempting to rake up communal tensions

Akhilesh Yadav may have been Chief Minister for a little over a year but when it comes to weaving political conspiracies, he's shown that he's no amateur.

"It is a political conspiracy to destabilise the government, a small incident flared up," Akhilesh Yadav told reporters in Lucknow.

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister preferred to blame mysterious political enemies which was working against the state government.

"We have taken all steps to restore peace in Muzaffarnagar and will take strong action against those who are violating the brotherhood of people there," Yadav said.

The Chief Minister said that he had spoken with the Prime Minister, governor and other 'important' people and had assured them that peace would be restored in Muzaffarnagar.

The state is working to ensure that peace is restore peace in the region and to ensure the violence doesn't spread further, Yadav said.

Senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, who was also present, said that they would show how some communal parties had attempted to break the peace in the area. He didn't specify which parties were involved, and Yadav also preferred not to comment on who was responsible for the violence.

4:40 pm: Union govt calls meet over Muzaffarnagar violence

The Cabinet secretary is meeting with the Home Secretary and Intelligence Bureau director to review the situation in Muzaffarnagar, reports CNN-IBN.

4:35 pm: National Human Rights Commission could look into riots

The National Human Rights Commission will look into the riots in Muzaffarnagar once the situation returns to normal, NHRC Chairperson K G Balakrishnan said today.

He said the Commission would take cognisance of alleged rights violation cases, if any, reported from the affected areas.

4: 30 pm: Akhilesh says two elderly people of the region can sit and solve Muzaffarnagar

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has attempted to explain away the riots in Muzaffarnagar as being a personal problem that has gone out of hand and could be resolved easily enough.

"Some forces are trying to create disturbances," Akhilesh Yadav said at a rally that was only partially broadcast on television channels.

The issue can be sorted at a personal level, he claimed.

"There is nothing that cannot be solved. Two elders of the region can sit together, discuss and resolve the issue," Yadav said.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's simple solution came even as Muzaffarnagar remains tense after days of communal riots.

3: 05 pm: Death toll rises to 31, PM speaks to Akhilesh about riots

CNN-IBN reports that the death toll due to the riots has now risen to 31.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that he has spoken to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister about the riots. This is what his official Twitter handle said:

https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/377002326591930368

https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/377002773574737920

https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/377002982954385408

3:00 pm: BJP says police in Uttar Pradesh is compromised due to political pressure

Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the communal violence in the state had been on the rise since the Samajwadi Party came back to power again.

"The Ayodhya 84 kosi yatra would have been peaceful if it had been allowed... We want to ask why the 12 persons named in the FIR for the murder of two brothers did not face any action. If action had been taken the riots could have been prevented," Prasad said.

He claimed that the police was taking action in a discriminatory manner and was only sparing leaders from the Samajwadi Party.

"The police is working in a discriminatory manner because of political pressure," Prasad said.

The Samajwadi Party isn't very convincing when it claims it is a secular party, he said.

He also questioned why Mulayam Singh was conducting meetings with the state's administration over the riots and said it was the existence of multiple power centres that had resulted in communal tensions in Uttar Pradesh.

2: 50 pm: Two more senior cops transferred over failure to prevent violence

The Uttar Pradesh government has moved two more officials for their role in failing to curb the communal violence in Muzaffarnagar.

Muzaffarnagar Senior Superintendent of Police Subhash Dube and Shamli Superintendent of Police Abdul Hamid have both been transferred, reports CNN-IBN.

2:45 pm: Shinde says he had warned Uttar Pradesh of communal violence

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today said that the Uttar Pradesh government had been forewarned about the possibility of communal violence rising in the state ahead of the next national elections.

“As elections are approaching, I had already assessed that there would increase in communal tension in the country…We have information that some people will try to create disturbances,” he told CNN-IBN.

However, he refused to blame any political party for the communal violence in Uttar Pradesh.

Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad and several other BJP leaders who were part of a fact finding team have been detained at the Ghaziabad border and not allowed to enter Muzzafarnagar.

"We were going to Muzzafarnagar to meet the injured and help maintain calm.But we have been detained by the police. We don't wish to disobey police orders", said Prasad to reporters at the border, where he was stuck with the other leaders.

Earlier Ajit Singh and Jayant Chaudhry of the RLD were also detained at the border and not allowed to enter the restive region.

2.00 pm: UP government was warned of possible riots, claims Home Minister

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has said that his ministry had warned Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav of increasing tensions that could possibly culminate in riots.

Speaking to IBN 7, Shinde said that Uttar Pradesh was one of 11 states that had been warned by the Intelligence Bureau. "As elections approach I had already assessed that there would increase in communal disturbances. We had information that some people will try to create disturbances", he said.

The Home Minister added that he had spoken to Akhilesh earlier and warned him that tension was rising and arrangements needed to be made. "He said he would. The Home Secretary had already alert the paramilitary and sent the CPRF", he said.

Claiming that the BJP and Samajwadi Party were both responsible for inciting violence in Muzaffarnagar, former UP Chief Minister Mayawati said that it was in the interest of both parties to create communal tensions in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

She also asked why the governor took so long to send a report to the centre, in order to stop the riots before they got out of hand.

"We are not planning to carry out an agitation. It won't help in this case", she added in response to a question.

1.09 pm: Mayawati slams UP government for riots

BSP leader and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati said that in UP, the law and order machinery has collapsed eversince the UP has been in power.

Addressing a media conference, Mayawati said, "If the govt wanted it could have brought the situation under control a long time back. Many people have given up their lives due to the government's tardiness".

"I will reiterate due to return of jungle law in UP, the SP govt should be dismissed and President's rule established, she added. Pressing further for President's rule, Mayawati said, "If President's rule is not imposed then the people of the state won't forgive the union government."

12.10 pm: Congress, SP both blame BJP for riots

Both the Congress and SP have blamed the BJP for the Muzaffarnagar riots that have killed 28 people in the state. Rashid Alvi of the Congress said that "what the BJP has done in UP is condemnable". Earlier ANI News quoted him as saying, "Modi has not yet been declared as PM & such incidents are already happening, people fear if BJP is trying to turn UP into Gujarat".

The Samajwadi Party's Naresh Aggarwal also said that the BJP was responsible for the situation in the state. On the ground as well, BJP MPs Hukum Singh, Sangeet Som, Suresh Rana and Bhartendu Singh have been named in an FIR as being responsible for inciting mobs of crowds into violemce.

Meanwhile Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs of India: RPN Singh said that the UP government has submitted its report to the Ministry of Home Affairs, and that no untoward incidents have been reported since Sunday afternoon. He added that Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde was in touch with UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Meanwhile RLD leaders Jayant Chaudhry and Ajit Singh have been detained at the Ghaziabad border and not allowed to enter Uttar Pradesh.

11.45 am: Akhilesh calls for restraint

UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav who has come in for severe criticism over his government's inability to prevent or control the Muzaffarnagar riots, has called on political parties to observe restraint.

In comments to the NDTV news channel, Akhilesh added that there would be no leniency showed towards those who were found guilty of disturbing the peace. He also said that District officers have been given a free hand to control situation, and asked to ensure the safety of those trapped in sensitive areas.

The comments come even as the young chief minister is being slammed for the riots in Muzaffarnagar. The UP governor has said that the state government was 'incapable' of handling the riots, while the BSP, BJP and RLD have all called for President's rule in the state.

Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is also learned to have berated his son for being unable to control the situation.

11.08 am: Licensed weapons were used in the riots, says UP ADG

UP ADG for Law and Order, Arun Kumar has said that a number of licensed weapons were used in the riots and added that action would be taken against lax police officers. "Most deaths took place at Fugana. The Fugana SHO has been placed under suspension", Kumar added.

Earlier he said that the death toll was 28 and that 90 people had been arrested in relation with the violence.

10.50 am: 90 people arrested in Muzaffarnagar violence, say police

The Muzaffarnagar police have said that the total number of people killed in the riots was now 28. Addressing a press conference, the ADG law and Order Arun Kumar confirmed the death toll and said that the number of those arrested in connection with the Muzaffarnagar riots had risen to 90, with the arrest of a further 35 people on Sunday.

He said that a large cache of weapons including pistols, revolvers, knives and country pistols had been recovered as well.

"Police are helping those who want to get out the areas. Some people are spreading panic", Kumar added.

"No untoward incident has been reported since 12 noon", he said, adding that cases under various sections of the penal code had been registered against unknown persons.

10.30am: Hukum Singh denies making inflammatory speech

BJP leader Hukum Singh who is one of four BJP MLAs who have been named by law enforcement officials as one of those responsible for inciting mobs of people at a mahapanchayat meeting, has denied making any kind of inflammatory comments.

"If a single inflammatory word is found in my speech, I will retire from politics", NDTV quoted him as saying.

Hukum Singh has been named in an FIR filed in Muzaffarnagar along with BJP leaders Sangeet Som, Suresh Rana and Bhartendu Singh. He is an MLA from Kairana in Shamli. He is the leader of the BJP in the vidhan sabha and has served as power minister in BJP led state governments.

9.30 am: Under fire UP government sacks top police officials

The Uttar Pradesh state government has removed several top cops in the wake of the Muzaffarnagar violence that has killed 27 people.

Under fire from the UP governor who said that the state government was 'incapable' of handling the riots, the government has removed the Meerut range Inspector General Brijbhushan as well as the DIG of Saharanpur DC Mishra.

Times Now reported that Bhavesh Singh is the new IG of the Meerut zone, while Ashok Mutha will be DIG Saharanpur.

There have been no fresh reports of violence on Monday, although late night violence killed one more person late last night.

8.50 am: Police turn to village heads to spread awareness about 'fake' video

Police are turning to village heads and public officials to help spread awareness about a 'fake' five minute video clip which is thought to be at the root of the Muzaffarnagar violence.

The video which was downloaded from YouTube and is believed to have gone viral in Muzaffarnagar, is reportedly a two year old clip which was filmed in either Pakistan or Afghanistan.. It reportedly depicts two men getting beaten to death by a Muslim mob.

Asking people not to pay heed to rumours, IG, Crime Ashish Gupta told reporters in Lucknow that some unscrupulous elements were using social networking sites and SMSes to spread rumours to create tension.

"A video is also being circulated through Facebook and other networking sites to create tension. I want to tell you that the said video is probably over two years old and is of some other country. I appeal to people that they should not pay heed to it", Gupta said.

An Indian Express report said that police are seeking help from sitting and former gram pradhan officials and are asking them to organise meetings to spread awareness about the fake clip. Police are also holding meetings and have issued statements informing people that the video is a fake.

8.17 am: The cost of a riot: local businesses may have lost as much as Rs 150 crore

Communal clashes that have killed 27 people in Muzaffarnagar, have also cost local businesses in the area a whopping Rs 150 crore, the Business Standard reported.

The area is reportedly a major market for jaggery, as well as for commodity trade.

The report quoted Arun Khandelwal, the President of the Federation of Gur traders as saying that trade had come to a standstill at a time, when warehouses were sending out as much as 600 - 720 tonnes of jaggery a day. Traders are reportedly losing as much as Rs 3,750 per toone of jaggery and run the risk of having to sell 19,000 in the market at a much lower rate.

7.50 am: Shoot on sight orders issued as toll climbs to 27

The state government has issued shoot-at-sight orders in Muzaffarnagar, as the death toll climbed to 27 thanks to violence spreading to rural areas in the state.

Army reinforcements are expected to be sent in today, in an effort to bring the situation under control once and for all. On Sunday the Army conducted a flag march in the district with the Rapid Action Force, Provincial Armed Constabulary and the state police are out on the streets.

The latest situation comes even as the Akhilesh Singh Yadav government has come under fire from all quarters including the opposition, the UP governor and his own father, SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The SP chief is learnt to have told his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in no uncertain terms that “incidents like this would not only hurt the party prospects in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls but also tar your image as an administrator”.

7.12 pm: UP governor sends report on violence to centre

Uttar Pradesh governor BL Joshi has hit out at the Samajwadi Party led state government, saying it is incapable of handling the situation in Muzaffarnagar, which has claimed 27 lives.

Times Now reported that Joshi had also sent a report to the centre, outlining his concerns.

The Akhilesh Yadav led government has come in for a lot of flak, including from the state opposition parties. The BSP and RLD have called for President's rule in the state.

6.42 am: Death toll climbs to 27, centre seeks report from state government

A fresh outbreak of violence in the Baghpat district has killed one more person in Muzaffarnagar, taking the death toll up to 27.

Hindustan Times reported that an army column sent to evacuate people trapped in several affected villages also came under attack. "Home secretary Kamal Saxena said the jawans managed to get the people out safely", the report added.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has sought a report from the UP state government, even as the rattled Samajwadi Party has gone into a huddle in order to discuss what to do next.

Army reinforcements are expected to be sent in on Monday, in an effort to bring the situation under control once and for all. On Sunday the Army conducted a flag march in the district with the Rapid Action Force, Provincial Armed Constabulary and the state police are out on the streets.

Schools and colleges will be shut for the next three days.

Meanwhile the police have named some senior BJP politicians in the FIR filed on the mahapanchayat including Hukum Singh, Sangeet Som, Suresh Rana, and Bhartendu Singh. Of these, Hukum Singh is a former Vidhan sabha leader and has held key positions in various BJP state governments.

A BJP fact finding team is visiting Muzaffarnagar today.

-- updates for 09 September end here ---

8.20 pm: Toll from violence is 26, says ADG law and order

Arun Kumar, the ADAG law and order of Muzaffarnagar has said that the death toll in clashes is now 26, following the deaths of 13 people in sporadic violence today.

However he said that all violence had been prior to 12 noon, and that there had been no violence after that.

Meanwhile CNN-IBN reported that security would be upped on Monday,and that all forces were in place.

7.23 pm: Toll climbs to 21, BJP leaders to be arrested

A number of BJP leaders who conducted a panchayat meeting following which there were communal riots are likely to be arrested, CNN-IBN reported.

The names of the BJP leaders are as follows:

Hukum Singh Sangeet Som Suresh Rana Bhartendu Singh

Meanwhile the death toll from the clashes has risen 21.

The District Magistrate speaking to CNN-IBN, said that schools and colleges have been shut for 3 days.

He added that a total of 13 people died in violence while another 8 people had died today in sporadic violence.

He added that there were around 6-7 "most critical villages" in western Muzzaffarnagar and that a total of 35 people have been arrested so far.

"We have registered an FIR against all those who organised the mahapanchayat and those who attended it. Violence happened because of this mahapanchayat", he told CNN-IBN.

At a meeting convened at his residence, party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is learnt to have expressed his displeasure at the inability of the state government in stopping the violence, despite the simmering overtones since August 27.

Sources told IANS that the SP chief was closely monitoring the situation on the ground after his arrival from New Delhi late on Saturday.

The SP chief, on his part, is learnt to have told his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in no uncertain terms that “incidents like this would not only hurt the party prospects in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls but also tar your image as an administrator”.

3. 25 pm: Uttarakhand put on alert

In the wake of communal tension in Muzaffarnagar in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, a high alert has been sounded across Uttarakhand.

Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar has asked the administration and the police force to be vigilant especially in Dehradun, Haridwar and Udhamsingh Nagar districts which border on Uttar Pradesh in view of the volatile situation in Muzaffarnagar, official sources here said today.

Meanwhile, ABP News reports that schools in Meerut will remain closed tomorrow as a precautionary measure by the administration.

2.00 pm: BSP demands Akhilesh’s resignation

Accusing the Samajwadi government of indulging in “politics of communalism”, the BSP on Sunday demanded resignation of U.P. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for his “failure” to control violence in Muzaffarnagar district.

“From Muzaffarnagar violence, administrative failure of SP government has once again come to fore. It has proved that Akhilesh government has bowed in front of criminals and it should immediately resign”, BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya told reporters in Lucknow.

He alleged that there was no law and order in the state and communal forces, criminals and mafia were ruling the roost.

BSP leader in Vidhan Parishad Naseemuddin Siddiqui said that had police and administration took strict action against those involved in triple murder in Muzaffarnagar on August 27, the situation would not have worsened.

“The violence in Muzaffarnagar is on and government is a mute spectator to it...The government is doing politics of communalism…” he alleged. (PTI)

1. 35 pm: Centre seeks report from UP govt on Muzaffarpur clashes

As the situation in Muzaffarnagar remained tense a day after the communal clashes, the Centre on Sunday sought report from the Uttar Pradesh government on the violence that killed 12 and injured 34.

According to District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma, the death toll is expected to shoot up as some remain missing.

Police said that over 30 people have been arrested for the clashes and security officials have been "instructed to deal the situation with soft hands".

11. 50 am: SP has not been able to control communal violence in UP, says Digvijaya Singh

Condemning the communal violence in Muzaffarnagar, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh blamed Samajwadi Party for not being able to control communal violence in Uttar Pradesh. Singh tweeted, "even BSP's rule was better than SP's."

He appealed for peace and communal harmony in Uttar Pradesh.

Condemn Communal Violence in Muzaffarnagar Pay homage to the journalist and those killed. All non BJP ruled States have to be more careful.

Army today staged a flag march in riot-hit areas of Muzaffarnagar district where the toll in clashes between members of two communities rose to 12 even as 30 persons have been arrested for the violence.

Curfew remained in force in Civil Lines, Kotwali and Nai Mandi areas of the district with Army carrying out a flag march in the troubled areas. Five companies of PAC and as many of RAF and police have also been deployed.

"Twelve people have been killed in the clashes and the toll is expected to rise as some people are missing. Police is searching for them," District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said.

The bodies of two persons were recovered from Bhopa Police Station area this morning and one from Chapar Police station.

Arun Kumar, ADG, Law and Order said the "Situation is totally under control. No unlawful incident has been reported so far since last night. Army has been deployed, they have started with a flag march".

"Since last night we have arrested around 30 persons and we hope the situation will remain under control," he said, adding the District Magistrate and the SP have been given special instructions to deal with the situation with "soft hands". (PTI)

10. 45 am: Situation tense in Muzaffarnagar as death toll climbs to 10

Army has been moved in to control the violence in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh where 10 people including two journalists have been killed and 34 injured in communal clashes. While curfew has been imposed and eight columns of Army moved in, the situation remains tense in Muzaffarnagar.

However, claiming that the situation is under control in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh Law and Order ADG Arun Kumar said, "The situation is under control. Eight Army columns have been called in. Flag marches have begun. No incidents reported since last night,"

10. 30 am: Culprits won't be spared, says Akhilesh Yadav

A mob protest in Muzaffarnagar on Saturday. PTI

Calling the incidents of clashes unfortunate, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said that the culprits will not be spared. “All senior officers are working to bring the situation under control in Muzaffarnagar. We have given order to take strict action if required. Curfew has also been imposed in certain places. I appeal to the people to maintain peace and do not believe in rumours. Action will be taken against those who try to disturb the peace and order,” Yadav said.

At least six people including a journalist and a photographer were killed on Saturday and 34 injured in clashes between members of two communities in the district, where tension has been simmering since violence in Kawal village ten days ago.

IBN7 Lucknow correspondent Manoj Rajan speaking to Firstpost said that a ten column of army have been moved in to control the violence in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. “The UP government has imposed an indefinite curfew in Civil lines, Kotwali and Nai Mandi area of Muzaffarnagar. The situation is under control for now,” he said. The state government has also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased.

A freelance journalist associated with IBN7 Rajesh Verma was shot dead in the Kotwali police station area. In another incident of violence, a photographer, Israr, who was hired by police was beaten to death in Thana Sikhera area. Both the media personnel were killed while covering the clashes. Read more here.

The incident was sparked off after a huge convention of a particular community had gathered in the town on Sunday to protest against several cases of eve teasing reported in the past couple of weeks. According to local police some participants in this convention got into a fight with villagers on the outskirts of Muzzaffarnagar. As this group got into town, some of those who had been beaten up started ransacking shops.